The Child
by Erik deSoir
Summary: Hermione had to take care of them. They certainly couldn't take care of themselves.


Title: The Child

Author: Erik deSoir

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. and to various publishers including but not limited to Scholastic Books, Raincoat Books, and Bloomsbury Books. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended. sob

Pairing: Harry/Draco

Warning: male/male relationship; ANGST; original character death; ANGST

Note: This is dedicated to my friend Ronnie. He posted a blog that inspired this. I had him in my brain as I wrote this, that mean mean friend.

Post script to Ronniekins: It's the holidays, man, cheer up!

Hermione shoved a key into the lock and twisted the cold door handle. The door swung open to reveal an empty foyer. Ron looked over her shoulder and sighed. She echoed his sentiments mentally, but said nothing. She stepped inside. Her footsteps echoed loudly in the large room. Ron inched past her, not daring to move out of her presence.

She shut the door quietly and moved further inside the silent house. Through the carpeted hallways and up the marble stairs, she nor her companion made any noise. At the end of a hallway on the third floor, a set of double doors, large and seemingly foreboding, loomed before them. Ron shivered a little, but said nothing. Hermione, quite used to the sight, just pushed the doors open.

No light shone through the drapes that covered the high windows. The paintings, the bits of objects that could be seen, it all seemed dulled. Hermione sighed and moved to the windows and pulled the drapes back. The sudden flash of light lit the room physically, but it still felt like a tomb.

She briskly moved to the bed that was pushed against the wall and whisked the drapes back from around it. Inside she found what she was looking for: two men curled around each other and a box covered in gold.

One looked up and blinked lazily at her. He then turned his gaze to his companion and nudged him. He looked up and saw nothing.

Hermione motioned to Ron to get on the other side of the bed. She then laid a gentle hand on the fair-haired man. He looked at her hand on his arm and blinked again. She suppressed the urge to scream and instead made her grip a little firmer and pulled. His arm moved with her pull and finally, to keep balance, he moved the rest of his body toward her.

She looked over at Ron, but Ron wasn't looking at her. His eyes were trained on the figure still remaining in the bed. Once his companion's presence had been removed, his whole body curved around the gold box. Hermione sighed and moved, attracting Ron's attention. His head snapped up and he saw her standing with Draco. He reached a shaking hand out to Harry, but as soon as his hand touched Harry's shoulder, Harry let out a wail and Draco was suddenly struggling against Hermione to get to him.

She pulled him away from the bed and hissed at Ron, 'Get him out of that bed!'

Ron nodded and moved toward Harry again. He gently grabbed Harry's shoulders and pulled him from the bed. Harry scrabbled for the box. Once he had it securely in his grasp he settled against Ron's chest and stood obediently. Ron manoeuvred the man toward Hermione who in turn moved from the room.

She led them back the way they came, save one new turn. They went through the house, Harry occasionally making whimpering noises and clutching the box to him.

She opened another set of double doors and they were standing in the dining hall. She set Draco down in a chair at the long polished table and nodded at Ron to do the same. Harry sat next to Draco and turned toward him, revealing the box to him. Draco immediately focused in on the box, stroking the sides of it lovingly.

Hermione called out, 'Dobby?'

A crack, then a small elf appeared. He twisted the jumper he was wearing and said, 'Yes? How can I help, miss?'

'Dobby, we need some food for Master Draco and Master Harry. Just get them anything they can keep down. How are the others?'

The twisting increased and Dobby said, 'They is all fearful for our Masters' health, miss. We is all afraid they is going to starve themselves. They won't eat anything we be bringing them, miss. They just keeps to their chambers and looks at the box.'

'Thank you, Dobby. I will be staying here for a while to look after them. Tell the others not to worry.'

'Oh, thank you, miss! I will tell them now and bring some food for the Masters.'

With another crack, Dobby disappeared.

Hermione rubbed the bridge of her nose and turned toward Ron. He had seated himself across from Harry and Draco. The two men said nothing, nor looked away from the box. They seemed completely oblivious that anyone else was even in the room, or that they themselves were not in bed anymore.

She sat down heavily beside Draco and put a hand to his shoulder. He turned his face to her, but did not remove his hands from the box.

'Draco?'

He blinked.

'Draco, I've asked for some food to be brought. You need to eat. Harry needs to eat. You will, won't you?'

He blinked, then turned back to the box.

Ron drummed his fingers on the table top. He jumped back when Dobby cracked back into the room. The elf set the table around the humans and cracked his disappearance again.

Hermione pulled Draco's bowl to herself and then Draco. She filled the spoon with some of the soup and held it up to his mouth. He opened it obediently and she tipped the soup in. He swallowed and began to turn away. She put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head frowning.

'No, Draco, look at me and don't stop looking at me.'

He frowned and tried to turn away again. She kept her grip on his shoulder. He tried to wrench free, but her fingers digging in his shoulder kept him from moving. He sighed and opened his mouth again. She fed him slowly, but finally he finished the bowl of soup. She let him turn away from her.

She moved to the other side of Harry and began the process all over again. He was having a harder time swallowing; she sometimes had to put her hand over his mouth to keep him from letting it dribble out or move her fingers against his throat to make him swallow.

Throughout this Ron kept silent but for sighing and fidgeting. He wanted to help, but felt rather helpless in this situation himself. He had never seen his best mate like this, not even just after the war. He had always seen a strong Harry, a Harry that would make it no matter what. Here he saw a child, unable to even keep food in his mouth.

Hermione sagged in her chair and called for Dobby once more.

'Some food for Ron and myself, please,' was all she said. Dobby nodded sadly and brought them something they never tasted for their thoughts were on the two men huddling against each other and a gold box.

After having finished their own food, they led the two men into a sunlit room. They set them on a couch and moved away.

Ron finally said, 'Are you sure you can do this?'

Hermione said, 'I have to. They can't right now. Could you after what's happened?'

Ron grimaced and shook his head. 'Still, we could send them to see professionals. I mean, there are people out there who do this for a living. Think about it Hermione.'

She smiled and stroked Ron's arm, 'I will, I promise. Go on home now. I'll firecall every day and let you know how everything is. All right?'

What could he do but nod? She had made up her mind. He smiled tightly and kissed her on the cheek. 'It will all be okay.'

She sighed and smiled a little, 'I hope so.'

It had been an ordinary day in the Malfoy household. Harry was gone on tour with the team, and Draco had gotten up early that day to take care of some business in London. He let the elves know to look after Jesinda until he returned, which would be sometime before lunch.

He had taken a little longer than usual in town and was anxious to get home. When he stepped in the front door, he called for an elf.

'Where is Miss Jesinda?'

'She is with Dobby in the gardens, Master Malfoy.'

'Thank you. We'll take our tea there shortly.'

He hurried up the marble stairs to his rooms to change clothes then made his way to the gardens. He heard her before he saw her. Her laughter filled his ears and a smile appeared on his face. He had an idea.

He stealthily snuck around the rosebushes and crouched down behind the butterfly bushes on the sweet-smelling grass near where she was.

He growled a low growl and said, 'I wonder where I can find a young girl who will be yummy to eat!'

She whipped her head around and saw him crouched behind the purple blossoms. She shrieked and ran at him, her arms outstretched. He caught her to him, stood up, and swung her around in her arms. She giggled like only a child can, loudly and carefree. He carried her to a bench and set her down on it. She giggled again.

'What have you been doing all day, princess?' Draco asked his daughter.

'I made something for you and Daddy! But you can't see it until he gets home. When will he be here?'

'Oh, in a few hours, sweet pea.'

She stuck her lower lip out and said, 'That's too long.'

He ruffled her hair and replied, 'Yeah, I know. I miss him.'

'I miss him, too. Why does he have to be gone so long?'

'It is a part of his job. You know that. Why don't we have our tea, then, hm?'

She nodded and put her arms out again to be picked up. He knew he oughtn't spoil her so, but picked her up anyway.

She chattered all through tea about the butterflies and the new flowers coming out and how Dobby taught her how to caught a ladybug without squishing it. Draco was a very good audience; he smiled and nodded and laughed in all the right places.

After tea she followed him into his study where he sat at his desk and went through some of the estate files. She pulled open a drawer in the desk where he kept paper and paints for her to play with and pulled it all out. She made her way to one of the low tables and hummed a disjointed tune while she drew pictures with the paint that never went off the paper.

Soon it was dinner time. He led her to the first-floor toilet and let her clean herself up before carrying her to the dining hall. But before they could make it that far, a crack resounded through the hallway, which meant only one thing.

Jesinda wiggled in Draco's arms to be let down. Once her feet hit the floor, she took off for the foyer and crashed into her daddy's legs.

Draco heard Harry's laughter and saw him carrying Jesinda on his hip as he made his way toward his husband. Harry pecked him on the lips and grinned. He looked like he had just changed his clothes and Apparated directly home from the locker rooms.

Draco asked as much and Harry, still grinning, said, 'Just about. Had a shower in there somewhere.'

Draco rolled his eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off his face. He took Harry's free hand, and they walked into the dining hall for dinner.

That night, they tucked Jesinda in bed. Harry laid on one side of her and Draco on the other, a book on Jesinda's lap.

'"And so,"' Draco read in a hushed voice, '"the prince killed the dragon. When he went home, he was rewarded beyond his biggest dreams. The King was indebted to him and told the prince he could have anything he wanted. The prince said, -"'

Harry cut in, 'I'd like to marry your son!'

Jesinda giggled and said, 'That isn't how the story goes!'

Harry said innocently, 'It isn't?'

She shook her head, blonde hair brushing against her face, 'No! The prince wants to marry the _princess_ and then they live happ'ly ever after!' She giggled again and settled between her fathers.

Draco reached across her to brush a dark lock of hair out of Harry's eyes. Harry smiled and took one of Draco's hands.

Suddenly Jesinda sat up and wiggled around. She climbed over Draco and ran to her closet.

Draco sat up straighter and said, 'What are you doing? You're supposed to be going to sleep!'

He heard her call out, 'I got a present for you, 'member?'

Draco looked at Harry and shrugged saying, 'She mentioned something, but never gave me any details. She's been putting it off 'til you got home.'

She came back with a medium-sized gold box. She handed it to Draco while she climbed back over him and settled between the two men again. When she was satisfied, she took the box back and opened it.

A sweet scent rose from it. Draco and Harry leaned forward to see what was making that delicious smell. They saw thousands of red and white rose petals. They looked at Jesinda for an explanation.

She sighed and said, as if explaining to small children, 'They're rose petals from the garden. I made Dobby put a spell on them so they never die or lose their smell. I kissed them so whenever you go somewhere, you can take some with you.'

Draco felt his heart tighten and he could tell Harry was fighting back tears.

Finally Harry said, 'That's…oh sweet pea.'

Jesinda noticed the tears forming in his eyes and said, 'Don't cry! Here, have a kiss!' and she held out a palmful of petals. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it, then kissed her temple.

'Love you, sweet pea.'

'Love you, too, Daddy. Don't cry.'

Draco said gently, 'Sometimes grown-ups cry when they're happy, princess.' He noticed his voice crack in several places.

Harry smiled at him. Jesinda looked between them and said, 'Well, that's dumb.'

The men laughed and got out of the bed. They each kissed her head and told her they loved her before heading off to bed themselves. The box was set carefully on the table next to their bed, and they fell asleep to the scent of fresh roses.

'Harry? Come on, Harry. Time for a bath.'

The dark-haired man turned his to her and stared at her blankly.

'You can bring the box if you like.'

The box, which, as far as she could tell, never left his fingers, was being gently stroked by him and Draco both. Draco looked up at her words and she said, 'You can come if you must, though the box must be kept out of the water. We'll put it on the edge, that way you may both touch it. Is that okay?'

Neither man said anything, but they didn't turn away from her either. She sighed. This was progress, actually. They usually didn't acknowledge her presence while she wasn't directly speaking to them.

She helped Harry stand and then Draco. They followed her into the adjacent room where a large bathtub took up half the space. She left them standing in the doorway and began turning on the taps.

Harry let out a gut-wrenching scream and began backing out of the room. Draco's grip on the box tightened and he, too, eyed the bathtub nervously with wide eyes. Harry finally stumbled out of the bathroom and made a run for the bed, box still in his hands. Draco, realizing what happened, made his way over to the bed and curled around Harry's shaking form.

Hermione sat on the edge of the bath and held her head in her hands.

The three of them remained that way for an indefinite amount of time.

'Dobby?' Hermione called.

A crack and then, 'Yes, Miss Hermione?'

'Dobby, I need to know how to keep the masters clean. They refuse to go into a bathroom that has a bathtub in it.'

Dobby began twisting his jumper. He seemed to do that when he was nervous or worried, which was all the time now. 'We is just using cleaning charms on them, miss. We is never trying to get them to get into a bathtub, miss. Master Harry is afraid of them now.'

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, 'Yes, I'm aware of that. What sort of cleaning charms, Dobby, did you use?'

'I isn't knowing the name of it, miss. I thinks it was just a regular cleaning charm.'

'All right. Thank you, Dobby. Can you have dinner ready in an hour?'

'Yes, miss.'

'Thank you, Dobby, really. Tell all the others I appreciate all the help they've been providing. I'd probably been worn down to nothing without everyone's help.'

'I'll tell them, miss, thank you!' and he Disapparated.

Hermione made her way back to the men's' bedroom chambers to apply some much-needed cleaning charms on them.

'Would you like to go outside today?'

The two men looked at her. Draco frowned slightly, but said nothing.

'If you don't say anything, I'll assume you won't mind. I'll be very upset if my idea bothers you and I don't find out until we're there.'

Draco looked at her, but still remained silent. His thumb moved along the bottom edge of the box nervously. Hermione sighed and turned away from them to do something.

'No.'

She snapped her head up, but didn't turn around, her breath stuck in her throat.

'I don't-'

She turned around slowly, trying not to show her shock, but rather her joy at finally hearing another human voice in days.

She beamed at Draco and said, 'Okay. We won't go into the garden.' She felt a tear or two run down her face.

She dropped to her knees beside them and laid a hand on each one's leg. 'What would you like to do instead?'

Draco shook his head and motioned toward Harry, who was looking at her curiously. He reached a hand out and brushed the tears from her chin. Her heart beat faster. He hadn't taken his hands from the box unless it was absolutely necessary, yet here he had.

'Harry?' she questioned softly. He frowned and whispered, 'Don't cry.'

She very nearly burst into tears.

'RON!' Hermione shouted into the living room.

He came running and dropped to his knees before the fire, 'What is it! What's happened? Are you all right? Are they okay? What!'

Hermione gazed up at him and shrieked, 'They spoke! They spoke! They spoke!'

Ron's eyes widened, 'No way.'

Hermione's head bobbed up and down, 'Yes! Draco said "No," and "I don't"! And Harry said to me, "Don't cry"! AND he wiped some tears off my face! Even after I messed up so badly with the bathtub thing! I'm feeling so happy right now, Ron!'

Ron could nothing but beam at her and her triumphs. 'That's good, baby.'

'Well, listen, I've got the elves watching them right now. I think I'd better get back to them. I love you!'

'Love you,' Ron said back and her head disappeared from the flames.

He leaned back on his heels and simply said, 'Blimey.'

It was all an accident. By definition, accidents are incidents that happen unexpectedly without deliberate plan or cause. Blaming anyone for an accident seems kind of back peddling. Nonetheless, someone will blame someone else, or worse, themselves.

Jesinda had been sent upstairs for a bath after having rolled in mud she found in the garden. Harry and Draco let the elves take care of it. They wanted to catch up with each other for a moment.

They went into their bed chambers and were half naked when they were interrupted by a scream.

They rushed to Jesinda's rooms and found the elves in a flurry of action. They pushed through them to the bathroom attached. There they saw Jesinda in a pool of water and vomit on the tile floor being worried over by three of the tearful house elves.

Harry fell to his knees beside her and grabbed her wrist off her stomach to check her pulse and breath. He breathed into her mouth and pushed against her chest while Draco muttered spells under his breath to no avail.

Draco pulled his daughter's body to his own and began rocking, stroking her blonde hair. Harry moved on his knees to them and pulled them both to him. Draco continued rocking.

Neither of them said anything.

Hermione woke up. What was that sound? She leapt out of bed and grabbed a dressing gown. It was coming from next door, the boys' rooms.

She opened the double doors. The drapes were pulled open, which was something she would have done in the morning having closed them for the night just an hour ago. She peered through the moonlight to see Draco and Harry sitting up in bed, looking at her.

Harry's gaze fell upon her open dressing gown, and she quickly pulled it shut, blushing.

He cocked his head to the side and said, 'What are you doing out of bed?'

Unable to answer his question, she moved closer and asked, 'Why are the drapes open? If you wanted them left open, you could have said something earlier. I only close them so the morning sun doesn't bother you.'

'We know.'

'So…why are they open now?'

Draco stared at her and said, 'Wanted to see the moon. Not the sun. We'll close them later. Should go back to bed. S'too cold to wandering about in a dressing gown.'

Something was not right with this. They were far too calm and coherent. 'That's the closest Draco's come to forming complete sentences and Harry's not moving his hands against the box like he usually is when he speaks,' she thought to herself.

'Do you mind if I sit with you for a little while?' she asked.

'No,' Harry said.

She sat on the edge of their bed. Harry scooted, if it was possible, even closer to Draco to make room. She sighed. This was going to be a long night.

As the sun came up that morning, Hermione blinked. She couldn't believe she's stayed awake so long. The two men had fallen asleep hours ago. She didn't dare sleep herself in case they woke to do something dangerous.

She made her way back to her rooms for a quick change of clothes then went directly back to their rooms to start the day.

'Come on, you were doing so well yesterday! Have a bit of eggs, please, Harry?'

Harry, however, turned his head away and stroked the box. Draco mirrored his actions. 'Today is just another bad day,' Hermione thought. She heaved a heavy mental sigh and clutched the edge of the table in frustration.

Instead of dealing with them, she sent them back to bed and had a fleet of elves watch them. If either of them so much as made a move, she was to be informed immediately.

She knelt on the stone floor and fire called Ron.

'Ron?'

'Coming!' came from somewhere in the house. 'Hermione! This is early.'

'Ron, I need some help. I am so tired and I just can't do this today. Can you come?'

He saw the dark circles under her eyes and heard the desperation in her voice. 'Yeah, I'll step through in a mo'. Let me grab something.'

She nodded and pulled her head out of the fire.

Ron came out a few seconds after and handed her a package. 'It's for you. Thought you could do with some of that magic.'

An eyebrow raised at his words and she pulled the string that held the brown paper on. She peeled the paper back and her eyes lit up.

'Chocolate,' she breathed.

'Yeah. I know they only have that fancy stuff here, so I went into Muggle London and found this for you.'

She threw her arms around his neck and nearly burst into tears. 'Thank you so much, Ron! I knew I loved you for a reason!'

He laughed and held her to him for a moment, treasuring the feel of her body against his. She gave him a squeeze then let go. He kept his arms circled around her. 'What needs to be done?'

She closed her eyes for a moment, then, opening them, said, 'They are in bed right now. I put them there with some elves so I could call. They're having a bad day, unfortunately following an even worse night. That's why I called. I haven't slept since night before last. Anyway, they haven't eaten and they are refusing to respond. I don't know why, either. I thought maybe you could just go in there and read to them? I have been doing that every once in a while and that seems to calm them.'

Ron nodded. He didn't understand how that could calm them, but whatever worked to make Hermione happy was a good thing. He pulled her to him again in a brief squeeze then he let her go. He followed her to the men's bed chambers.

'I'll be next door if you need me. And do not hesitate to get me, all right? I don't care if I haven't slept in the last 24 hours, yes?' Ron nodded, and she disappeared.

Ron took a deep breath and entered his best mate's bedrooms. He looked to the right of him where he could see the bed. The drapes were open and he saw Harry and Draco both wrapped around the gold box.

He went to the side of the bed and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry tried to shake it off, but Ron dug his fingers in. After a moment Harry sat up and threw his arm to dislodge Ron's hand. Draco sat up, too, and frowned deeply at Ron. Surprised by the violent movement, Ron let go. Harry settled back into the bed and curled around the box once more. Draco followed suit.

Ron sat in a chair next to the bed and noticed a small stack of books on the table. He looked through the titles, recognized a few, and picked one up. He flipped to the last page and began reading it backwards. If they were going to be in bad mood then he could surely read a book backwards to them.

At the end of the "first" page, Harry sat up and turned to look at Ron. Ron paid him no mind and kept reading. Draco eventually sat up, too, bringing the box to his lap. Harry settled against him and his fingers found the side of the box to smooth over with his fingers. And so they remained until lunch time when Hermione came in.

Hermione collapsed onto a couch and smiled. Harry and Draco were sitting across from her wearing identical smiles.

'How long have you been living here, Hermione?' Harry asked.

'Oh, well, um, I'll have to think about that.' She paused to count it up in her head, 'About two years now.'

'What about Ron?' Draco asked.

'A year and a half. I'd been six months by the time he got lonely enough to move into my rooms next to yours. Why?'

Harry played with the hem of his shirt, 'I was just wondering how long you've been looking after us.'

Hermione let out a small laugh, 'Oh Harry, don't worry about that, just know that I am.'

'But that's just it! I'm a grown man. I ought to be able to remember to eat every day and and- why can't I remember? Why can't I let you get on with life?' he stopped, tears filling his eyes. Draco pulled Harry to himself and Harry laid his head on Draco's shoulder.

'Harry, it takes time to heal. You know this. I know this. I'll be here as long as that takes you because I love you. Yes, I may hate it some days, but I still love you. Both of you.' She directed her look to Draco. Draco still didn't speak much, but was better at getting through the day unassisted. He smiled faintly at her and she returned it.

Ron came in then. 'What's wrong, Harry?'

Harry shook his head and Draco said, 'He's angry with himself. Thinks he's, hmm, holding you two down?'

Hermione nodded her approval at his speaking and pulled Ron to sit next to her on the couch. She leaned into him and said, 'I told them better, though, didn't I, Harry?'

Harry nodded against Draco.

In the end, neither Draco nor Harry ever asked Hermione and Ron to move out. They moved their rooms a little further away, close enough in case anything happened, but far enough away for privacy.

They coexisted peacefully, despite everything. Hermione and Ron joined Harry and Draco for meals and teas. The four of them spent weekends together in the sunshine or in the vast library, around a toasty fire.

They found it roaring funny to make snowmen that had snowball fights. Draco even came into his own by making nude snowmen do naughty things to each other.

Hermione brought flowers in from the garden when the blossoms opened. Draco and Harry tentatively joined her until finally the garden no longer held any ghosts for them. After that Hermione and Harry planned lots of fun picnics outdoors. Harry even brought a kite along once or twice.

They took trips together. Draco owned lots of properties all over, in which Ron helped maintain the paperwork. They stayed at the beach, in the countryside, in different countries altogether.

Once, many years down the line, when asked by the boys, what she did for a living, she replied with, 'Why I write down everything we do and publish it. Didn't you know?'

Draco and Harry still had their bad days, though; days they didn't get out of bed, or didn't speak at all. Hermione and Ron just guided them through those days with quiet understanding and love.


End file.
